Hi there. My name is ***** ***** I'm happy to help you with your question today. Just like an in person consult, I have a few questions of my own to help ensure I give you the best advice possible.How long has she been sleeping with you?Is she crate trained?Is she allowed on other furniture?Has she been to obedience classes at all?

Abby has been sleeping with us since she was a puppy. The problem is that she is taking up more of the bed than she used to, and she often winds up sleeping on top of my legs or under my head. I wake up 6 or 7 times per night because her choice of place to sleep is often taking up too much room, she's heavy, and there's no room for me (we have a queen sized bed). I love my dog (a shih Tzu), but I need my sleep.Yes, Abby likes her crate, but if I put her there at night she complains loudly.Yes, she is allowed on other furniture and she's generally fine.I have trained her on many issues, such as stay. She really knows that word.What is the best way of getting her out of the habit of sleeping with me/us?

Abby's crate is not in the bedroom. I can move it in there; however, she will most likely object to being kept from sleeping on the bed. I can ignore her objections, but I do wonder how long it would take before she quiets down.

Thanks for all the additional information. I really appreciate it.I really think that if you move her crate into your room, she'll do fine not sleeping on your bed. I'd be more worried if she wasn't already crate trained, or if she didn't like her crate, but we're already ahead of the game because she does like it.She will likely object in the beginning, but a stern, "Abby, no!" and then ignoring her should do the trick.If she protests too much, there are a couple over-the-counter options we could try to help take the edge off until she adjusts to sleeping in the crate.A couple things you could try would be:Melantonin is an over-the-counter drug that can be used to treat some anxiety issues in dogs. The dose you would give would be up to 3 mg given orally whenever necessary up to every 8 hours. More information can be found here: http://www.petplace.com/drug-library/melatonin-melatonex/page1.aspx , which includes risks, warning signs to watch out for and other bits of useful information.Try a DAP collar. These are collars that are impregnated with a man-made version of the dog appeasing pheromone, which is a pheromone that nursing bitches give off to their pups to help them feel calm and secure. It's something that humans can't smell, but it has an amazing effect on dogs with anxiety and other issues. Although you can find them at your vet's office..you can also find them online at places like Amazon.com and Ebay for much cheaper. Just make sure they're DAP brand, as they seem to work better than some other versions.I hope this helps!